Bucket lid attachment apparatus for handheld vacuum and blower devices

ABSTRACT

An attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device that allows a user to direct the items collected by the portable vacuum or blower device to a separate container in an easy to carry assembly. The attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device has an adapter, an inlet and outlet assembly, and a lid. The lid detachably couples to a bucket or other container allowing the user to discard the bucket and collected items entirely or store the bucket with the collected items, depending on the items collected. The adapter provides attachments to popular portable vacuum or blower devices.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to vacuum devices, and more particularly, the invention relates to an attachment device that is capable of delivering the positive or negative air pressure of a portable vacuum or blower device through a separate container.

BACKGROUND

Cleaning and organization is a fact of life. This necessity can take the form of cleaning up food or trash spills; removing plant matter or animal excrement; or picking up and organizing children's toys.

With respect to the removal of plant matter, animal excrement or construction debris, there are available tools at a person's disposal. One could use a rake to create piles of leaves and other plant debris, but that method requires manually bagging and disposing of the plant matter. Some people choose to use a leaf blower, which require the user o either create piles of debris using the blower mode similar to using a rake or allow the vacuumed debris in vacuum mode to pass through the fan device. While not an issue for most plant matter, pet owners can attest to the issue of animal excrement passing through the fan device while collecting plant matter. Inadvertently vacuumed animal excrement can become impacted on the inside of the vacuum tube or within the fan device, creating unpleasant odors and a difficult cleaning experience. In addition, other items could be inadvertently pulled into the vacuum tube of devices with particularly strong suction that could damage the fan device, including rocks and other heavier yard debris. The downsides of collecting animal excrement and the risk of heavier items damaging fan components make the use of leaf blowers undesirable for many individuals.

With respect to picking up and organizing household items such as children's toys and other small, sortable items, the tools discussed above do not provide the necessary practicality for use. A broom and dustpan cannot collect enough material at once to make that method worth the effort. Standard vacuums and leaf blowers would either damage or be damaged by such items, and those collected items would then need to be removed and stored separately. Thus, most people choose to collect and organize these types of small household items by hand, a time consuming exercise.

It is with these problems in mind that the following invention was created. A need exists for a device that allows its user to collect a wide array of items without damaging those items or the device. Furthermore, this need includes being able to collect items involving unpleasant smells or residues without requiring an extensive cleaning of the collection device.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises an attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device. The attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device includes an adapter that is detachably coupled to the portable vacuum or blower device. The adapter detachably couples with an inlet and outlet assembly. The inlet and outlet assembly detachably couples with a lid and a tube. The lid detachably couples with a bucket or other containment apparatus.

These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative and the present invention is limited only by the scope of the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded side view of the attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of one embodiment of the coupling attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the coupling attachment embodiment of FIG. 4 to a portable vacuum or blower device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device of FIG. 1 showing the lid attachment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the coupling attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a perspective rear view of the coupling attachment embodiment of FIG. 7 to a portable vacuum or blower device of FIG. 1 showing the attachment hinge mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular preferred embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.

The present invention is an attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device. The attachment to portable vacuum or blower device has an adapter that detachably couples to the portable vacuum or blower device. As shown in FIG. 1, the adapter 100 has a front coupling attachment 101, a rear coupling attachment 102, a top sidewall portion 104, and an adapter sidewall 105. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the adapter 100 has a bottom sidewall portion 103. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, front coupling attachment 101 and rear coupling attachment 102 are configured to detachably couple to a portable vacuum or blower device. The embodiment of front coupling attachment 101 and rear coupling attachment 102 is configured to couple to a popular portable vacuum or blower device.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, top sidewall portion 704 and coupling attachments 701 are another embodiment configured to couple to a popular portable vacuum device using attachment hinge 801. It should be appreciated that top sidewall portion 104, top sidewall portion 704, coupling attachment 101, and coupling attachment 701 may be configured to couple to other portable vacuum or blower devices according to the attachment mechanism of the portable vacuum or blower device. Adapter 100 detachably couples to an inlet and outlet assembly 200.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the inlet and outlet assembly 200 has an adapter end bottom sidewall portion 203, an adapter end top sidewall portion 204, a vacuum tube end bottom sidewall portion 213, a vacuum tube end top sidewall portion 214, an adapter end and vacuum tube end connection 207, and an inlet and outlet assembly sidewall 205,

Adapter 100 at bottom sidewall portion 103 is configured to detachably couple inside inlet and outlet assembly 200 at adapter end top sidewall portion 204. As shown in FIG. 6. Inlet and outlet assembly 200 at adapter end bottom sidewall portion 203 is configured to couple inside a lid coupler 601 of a lid assembly 600. Adapter end bottom sidewall portion 203 may be configured to house a filter (not shown) in some embodiments. Inlet and outlet assembly 200 at vacuum tube end bottom sidewall portion 213 is configured to couple inside a lid coupler 601. The preferred embodiment of lid assembly 600 has lid couplers 601 of equal size to allow for inlet and outlet assembly 200 to detachably couple with lid assembly 600 in either possible orientation. It should be appreciated that lid assembly 600 can be configured to have different size lid couplers capable of detachably coupling with adapter end bottom sidewall portion 203 and vacuum tube end bottom sidewall portion 213 of various sizes. Vacuum tube end top sidewall portion 214 is configured to couple to a vacuum tube (not shown). It should be appreciated that vacuum tube end top sidewall portion 214 can be configured to detachably couple to any tube capable of transmitting the positive or negative pressure of the portable vacuum or blower device.

The preferred embodiment of lid assembly 600 is configured to detachably couple with a five-gallon bucket (not shown). It should be appreciated that lid assembly 600 can be configured to detachably couple to any container capable of detachably coupling with a lid and capable of accepting the intake of a portable vacuum or blower device. It should be appreciated that that lid assembly 600 can be configured to detachably couple to a five-gallon bucket or other container using threads (not shown) or other common lid attachment systems.

If a user desires to use the present invention for vacuuming purposes, a user aims the vacuum tube at the item to be collected. The item to be collected is drawn into the vacuum tube (not shown) by the suction of the portable vacuum or blower device, past the coupling between the vacuum tube (not shown) and vacuum tube end top sidewall portion 214, past the coupling between vacuum tube end bottom sidewall portion 213 and lid coupler 601, and into the bucket (not shown). Air associated with the negative pressure or suction is then drawn past the coupling between adapter end bottom sidewall portion 203 and lid coupler 601, past the coupling between bottom sidewall portion 103 and adapter end top sidewall portion 204, into the portable vacuum or blower device, and out of the outlet of the portable vacuum or blower device.

If a user desires to use the present invention for blowing purposes, a user aims the vacuum tube in the direction of desired positive pressure. Air enters the inlet of the portable vacuum or blower device, through the portable vacuum or blower device, past the coupling between bottom sidewall portion 103 and adapter end top sidewall portion 204, past the coupling between adapter end bottom sidewall portion 203 and lid coupler 601, and into the bucket (not shown). Air associated with the positive pressure then flows past the coupling between vacuum tube end bottom sidewall portion 213 and lid coupler 601, past the coupling between the vacuum tube (not shown) and vacuum tube end top sidewall portion 214, down the vacuum tube (not shown), and out of the vacuum tube (not shown).

Although the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

I claim:
 1. An attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device comprising: an adapter assembly having a top sidewall portion for detachably coupling to a portable vacuum or blower device, and a bottom sidewall portion for coupling such adapter assembly to an inlet and outlet assembly; the inlet and outlet assembly having an adapter end top sidewall portion for detachably coupling to the adapter assembly, an adapter end bottom sidewall portion and vacuum tube end bottom sidewall portion for securing a lid assembly, and a vacuum tube end top sidewall portion for securing a vacuum tube; and the lid assembly having lid couplers for coupling the lid assembly to the inlet and outlet assembly, the lid assembly secured to a container.
 2. The attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device in claim 1, wherein the top sidewall portion of the adapter assembly has a front coupling attachment and a rear coupling attachment, such that a portable vacuum or blower device with an insert and twist attachment system is secured by the front coupling attachment and the rear coupling attachment.
 3. The attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device in claim 1, wherein the top sidewall portion of the adapter assembly has coupling attachments and an attachment hinge, such that a portable vacuum or blower device with a snapping attachment system is secured by the coupling attachments and the attachment hinge.
 4. The attachment o a portable vacuum or blower device in claim 1, wherein the adapter end bottom sidewall portion has a filter that is sufficiently porous to allow only the flow of air.
 5. The attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device in claim 1, wherein the lid couplers are the same diameter to allow for use of the lid assembly in two orientations.
 6. The attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device in claim 1, wherein the lid assembly has threads that allow securing the lid assembly to a bucket through snapping the lid assembly in place.
 7. The attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device in claim 1, wherein the lid assembly has threads that allow securing the lid assembly to a bucket through screwing the lid assembly in place
 8. The attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device in claim 1, wherein the vacuum tube end top sidewall portion of the inlet and outlet assembly detachably couples to a straight vacuum tube, such that use of the attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device requires a user to tilt the attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device during use.
 9. The attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device in claim 1, wherein the vacuum tube end top sidewall portion of the inlet and outlet assembly detachably couples to a bent vacuum tube, such that use of the attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device allows a user to maintain the attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device upright during use.
 10. The attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device in claim 1, wherein the bottom sidewall portion of the adapter assembly has a narrower diameter than the adapter end top sidewall portion of the inlet and outlet assembly, such that the bottom sidewall portion of the adapter assembly detachably couples within the adapter end top sidewall portion of the inlet and outlet assembly.
 11. The attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device in claim 1, wherein the adapter end bottom sidewall portion and the vacuum tube end bottom sidewall portion of the inlet and outlet assembly have a narrower diameter than the lid couplers of the lid assembly, such that the adapter end bottom sidewall portion and the vacuum tube end bottom sidewall portion of the inlet and outlet assembly detachably couple within the lid couplers of the lid assembly.
 12. The attachment to a portable vacuum or blower device in claim 1, wherein the vacuum tube end top sidewall portion of the inlet and outlet assembly has a larger diameter than the vacuum tube, such that the vacuum tube detachably couples within the vacuum tube end top sidewall portion of the inlet and outlet assembly. 